Beam-splitter



March 10, 1959 J. A. RAU

' BEAM-SPLITTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1956 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR. JOHN A. RAU

ATTORNEYS Y J. A. RAU

BEAM-SPLITTER I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 10, 1959 Filed Feb. 24, 1956 INVENTOR. JOHN A. RAU

ATTORNEKSK March 10, 1959 J. A. RAU 1 2,876,836

BEAM-SPLITTER Filed Feb. 24, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. JOHN A. RAU

M M e M A TTORNEVS United States Patent C) BEAM-sPLrrTER John A. Ran, Phoenix, Ariz., assignor to Allison Steel Manufacturing Company, Phoenix, Ariz., a corporation of Arizona Application February 24, 1956, Serial No. 567,529 2 Claims. (Cl. 164-61) This invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for splitting a beam along its longitudinal axis, and more particularly to such apparatus which uses a pair of opposed rotary discs or cutting blades, and which is often referred to as a rotary beam-splitter.

A metal beam, e. g., an I-beam, a channel beam, or an angle beam, is split by a rotary beam-splitter by passing the beam longitudinally between two discs or blades which are mounted on parallel rotating shafts. In effect, the two rotating blades provide a continuous scissoring action which shears the beam along its longitudinal axis as it passes between the blades. One problem involved in the use of such a machine is that of maintaining alignment of the beam as it is passed between the cutting blades, such alignment being necessary to insure precision splitting of the beam. Prior machines have provided for this alignment by the use of complicated and expensive horizontal and vertical rollers both fore and aft of the machine and actuated with motor-operated pressure screws. While this arrangement works satisfactorily, it makes the cost of a rotary beam-splitter prohibitive to many fabricating shops.

Moreover, with the previous beam-splitters, the aligning means are not only expensive, but also difiicult to change for various size means and diflicult to-adapt for splitting a beam along different longitudinal axes. This invention provides aligning means which are quickly and easily adaptable to accommodate a wide variety of beam sizes, or to split a beam along any desired longitudinal axis.

This invention provides a simple and inexpensive way to maintain beam alignment during the splitting operation, which makes possible a relatively inexpensive rotary beam-splitter within the price range of many fabricating shops not now able to afford the more expensive rotary beam-splitters. With this invention, the beam is kept in alignment by one or more collars mounted on at least one of the rotating shafts. The collars give rigid support to the beam close to the point where it is being sheared and subjected to the largest forces tending to carry the beam out of proper alignment.

Briefly, the invention contemplates an improvement in apparatus for splitting longitudinally a beam having a cross section in the form of a flange joined by aweb disposed transverse to the flange. The apparatus has first and second parallel shafts with a separate and positively driven cutting disc mounted on each shaft, the respective rims of the discs being close to each other. A collar is disposed on one end portion of the first shaft at a fixed distance from the disc on that shaft. Means are provided for holding the collar on the first shaft at a fixed but variable distance from the disc on the first shaft. The collar is adapted to engage the outer portion of the flange of the beam as the beam is fed longitudinally between the cutting discs transverse to the axis of the shafts, so that the beam is supported with respect to the cutting discs as the beam is sheared.

In the preferred form of the invention, particularly for cutting I-beams, a second collar is disposed on the second shaft on the end portion opposite the first collar, and the second collar is adapted to engage the outer portion of the other flange. of the beam so that support is provided by collars on both sides of the cutting discs.

Also in the preferred form of the invention, both collars are provided with means for holding them on their respective shafts at a fixed and variable distance from the disc on their respective shaft. Conveniently, each collar is formed in two parts and held together by bolts so that it may readily be put on or taken off a shaft. Also the collars are stepped in diameter so that the edges of the beam flanges ride on the portion of the collar of reduced diameter and so that the outer faces of the flanges bear against the inner surfaces of the portion of the collars of larger diameter. In its preferred form, the invention also includes a split circular shoe or sleeve which can be fitted around the portion of the guide collar of smaller diameter to accommodate beams having flanges of different widths. 1

These and other aspects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a schematic side sectional elevation illustrating the general principle of a rotary beam-splitter;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partially broken away, of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention showing guide collars mounted on the shafts .of a rotary beam-splitter;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing in detail the mounting of a cutting disc and a guide collar on one of the shafts;

. Fig. 4 is a sectional view and Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the rotary beam-splitter includes a frame 10 which comprises a pair of laterally spaced vertical and hollow supporting columns 11 which taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

are connected at their upper ends by a cross bar 12 and 13. An upper or 14 is supported at each left end of each shaft pro- A first spur gear 18 is rigidly attached to the left end of the upper shaft, and a second spur gear 20 is rigidly attached to the left end of the lower shaft. Each of the spur gears are of equal diameter and mesh with each other. The lower spur gear is driven by a pinion gear 22 which in turn is connected by a shaft 24 through a suitable steady rest bearing 26 and shaft coupling 28 to an electric motor 30 which is powered by any suitable source of electric power (not shown). Thus when the motor is turned on, the lower spur gear is driven by the pinion gear 22 and in turn drives the upper spur gear 18, causing the two shafts to rotate together, but in opposite directions.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the supporting columns of the frame are identical, and a description of one column, and the mounting of the shafts therein (as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3) will sutfice for both columns. The right column is described below.

A cylindrical journal 32 having a horizontal bore 34 is disposed within the right column. A bushing 36 is'disbearing support The inner face of or lower rotatable horithe column is open so that the shaft and its support may be moved vertically. wardly extending rotatable screw 38 is attached to the upper side of the journal by any suitable means, e. g., by inverted L-shaped fingers 39 attached to the journal (as by welding) and arranged to grip a boss 40 formed integrally on the lower end of the screw. The upper end of the screw projects above the upper end of the supporting column through a threaded bore 42 in a support block 44 rigidly attached, as by welding, to the interior of the upper end of the right hand column. The upper end of the screw is shaped in the form of a nut 45 so that it may be rotated to raise and lower the upper shaft with respect to the frame. The opposite end of the upper shaft is mounted in the left column in a manner identical to that just described for the right end of the upper shaft. The ends of the lower shaft are journaled in a manner similar to that described for the upper shaft except that the adjusting screw is omitted. The journals (not shown) supporting the lower shaft are removably attached to the frame by any suitable conventional manner, such as bolts (not shown).

A separate rotary disc cutter 46 is mounted on the central portion of each shaft. Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, the rotary cutter on the upper shaft includes a drive collar 48 having a central bore 50 adapted to fit snugly around a boss 52 formed integrally on the upper shaft. As viewed in Fig. 3, the left face of the drive collar is tapered so that the thickness of the drive collar decreases towards its periphery. The right end of the bore is stepped up in diameter to form an annular section 53 which fits snugly around a flange 54 welded to the intermediate portion of the boss 52. The length of section 53 is equal to the thickness of flange 54. Four equally spaced radial notches 55 are formed in the periphery of the flange 54. Four equally spaced drive pins 56 are held by separate screws 57 in four equally spaced radial grooves 58 formed in the right face of the drive collar. The right hand surfaces of the drive pins are flush with the right face of the drive collar. The outer ends of the pins are flush with the outer periphery of the drive collar, and the inner end of each drive pin projects into a respective notch 55 in the flange 54 so that the drive collar is forced to rotate with the shaft 14. Conveniently, the drive collar is formed in two halves to facilitate its assembly and disassembly.

. As shown best in Fig. 3, a circular knife blade 60 having a central bore 62, which fits snugly over the boss ofthe shaft, is rigidly attached to the right face of the drive collar by bolts 64.

The cutting disc for the lower shaft is mounted exactly as described for the disc on the upper shaft except that the disc on the lower shaft is oifset to the right (as viewed in Fig. 2) of the upper cutting disc so that the right and left faces of the upper and lower discs, respectively, lie in substantially the same vertical plane. The adjusting screws for the upper shaft are adjusted to place the lowermost portion of the upper disc in substantially the same horizontal plane as the uppermost portion of the lower disc.

The guide collars of this invention may take several forms. A basic guide collar 66 is shown in Figs. 3 and 4.mounted around the right end of the upper shaft and includes a large diameter flange portion 68 on which is formed an inwardly extending hub portion 70 of smaller diameter. A central bore 72 through both the hub and flange portions of the guide collar is of such diameter, to fit snugly around the upper shaft. Preferably the guide collar is split into two halves 66A, 66B and held together by means of a pair of diametrically opposed bolts 74 which fit into a pair of matching bores 76 in the two halves of the guide collar, the bores being tapped to receive the bolts. This arrangement permits the guide collar to be readily replaced or loosened so that its lateral position on the shaft may be readily The lower end of an upadjusted to accommodate the splitting of beams of various sizes, or along different axes of the beams.

A pair of locating pins 78 are press-fitted into diametrically opposed portions of the split face of the right (as viewed in Fig. 4) half of the hub portion of the guide collar so that when the guide collars are apart, the 10- cating pins project from the split face of the right half of the guide collar. The projecting pins make a slip fit into matching bores 79 in the split face of the left half of the collar, so that the two halves of the guide collar may be readily fitted together and aligned for rigid clamping by means of the bolts 74.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 2, the flange of an I-beam (shown in phantom line) fits snugly into the shoulder formed by the hub and flange portions of a guide collar 80 mounted on the right end of the upper shaft.

To accommodate beam flanges of different widths a fill or sleeve-like shoe 82 (see Figs. 3 and 4) of required thickness may be disposed over the hub portion of the guide collar 66 and rigidly attached thereto by a plurality of flat headed screws 84 which screw into threaded holes 85 provided in the hub to register with matching holes 86 in the shoe. The shoe is split into two halves 82A, 8213 so that it may be easily slipped on and off the hub while the guide collar is mounted on the shaft.

By using a plurality of guide collars with hubs of various outside diameters in conjunction with shoes of various thicknesses, a wide range of beams having different width flanges can be accommodated by the beam-splitter.

The variations in web widths are accommodated by adjusting the lateral position of the guide collars on the shaft.

In the preferred form of the invention, the guide collars are reinforced against any excessive lateral thrust they might receive during the beam-splitting operation. As shown in Fig. 2, the outer face of the guide collar 80 mounted on the right end of the upper shaft is turned down around its periphery to leave a centrally located thrust shoulder 88 which bears against an enlarged portion 90 on the right end of the shaft. Thus the guide-collar of the upper shaft (Fig. 2) is prevented from being forced to the right during the shearing of a beam.

The guide collar mounted on the left end of the lower shaft in Fig. 2 is identical to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and is prevented from slipping to the left by means of a thrust collar 92 split into two halves 92A, 92B which are clamped securely to the shaft by bolts 94 extending through a pair of opposing ears 96 formed integrally on each half of the thrust collar.

The operation of the guide collars in maintaining beam alignment during the splitting of a beam can be understood most readily from reference to Fig. 2. The guide collars are set on their respective shafts to accommodate the beam web, and the diameters of the inner portions of the collars are selected or adjusted by the use of sleeves or fills to accommodate the beam flanges. Thus each beam flange makes a snug fit against a respective guide collar. With the motor turned on to drive the shafts, the beam is fed in between the rotating knife blades and is sheared cleanly and precisely. The guide collars provide rigid support for the beam and prevent it from being deflected out of proper alignment during the splitting operation.

It will be apparent that the guide collars and thrust collars can be adjusted laterally along their respective shafts to accommodate beams having webs of a wide range of widths and that the outside diameter of the hub can readily be altered by the use of a shoe to accommodate beams having flanges of different thicknesses. As indicated above, the collars may also be set so that a beam is split along a longitudinal axis which is not necessarily down the center of the beam. A beam may also be split by using only one guide collar on only one of the shafts, the beam being .urged toward the collar during the splitting operation. This latter method is well adapted for splitting channel beams or trimming angle beams. Thus this invention permits the average fabricating shop to carry a normal stock of I-beam, channel beam or angle beam inventory and yet have the flexibility of being able to fabricate a wide range of T-beams and angle beams as job requirements develop.

Iclaim:

1. In apparatus for longitudinally splitting a beam having a uniform cross section in the form of two flanges joined by a web disposed transverse to the flanges, the apparatus being provided with first and second parallel shafts with a separate positively driven cutting disc mounted on each shaft, the respective rims of the discs being close to each other, the combination which comprises a first collar disposed on one end portion of the first shaft and spaced from the disc on that shaft, the first collar having a flange portion of one diameter and a hub portion of a smaller diameter extending toward the discs from the flange portion, a first sleeve adapted to fit around the hub on the first collar, a second collar disposed on the second shaft on the end portion opposite the first collar, the second collar having a flange portion of one diameter and a hub portion of a smaller diameter extending toward the discs from the flange portion, a second sleeve adapted to fit around the hub on the second collar, and means for holding the second collar on the second shaft at a fixed but variable distance from the disc on the second shaft, the first collarsleeve and hub being adapted to engage an edge and the outer face of one of the beam flanges, and the second collar sleeve and flange being adapted to engage an edge and the face of the other beam flange as the beam is fed longitudinally through the cutting discs transverse to the axes of the shafts.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which each sleeve is formed of at least two parts adapted to fit around the hubs so that the sleeves may be attached to and removed from the hubs Without having to slip the sleeves over the ends of the shafts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 352,184 Graham Nov. 9, 1886 403,858 Reeves May 21, 1889 1,382,829 Gilbert June 28, 1921 1,764,285 Bates June 17, 1930 1,881,020 McFarland Oct. 4, 1932 1,978,703 Ehlers Oct. 30, 1934 2,224,086 Plumb Dec. 3, 1940 2,418,066 Bruker Mar. 25, 1947 2,573,332 Herman Oct. 30, 1951 2,668,591 Winters Feb. 9, 1954 

